Middle East & Africa | Snarling or smiling

Kenya’s president, William Ruto, shows two sides

He is making friends abroad and enemies at home

Kenyan President William Ruto
How to win friends and influence peopleImage: Getty Images
|NAIROBI

He is a master of inscrutability. While his face often wears a smile, a glance at William Ruto’s eyes suggests it is rarely a warm one. A year after he came to power, working out whether Kenya’s president is grinning or snarling depends on where one is standing.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Grin and bear it”

From the September 16th 2023 edition

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